Washing machine



P. E. BARKER WASHING MACHINE June 1 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1921 Esme 1 5 1,539,824

P. E. BARKER WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 12, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @0 WY? A Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY E. BARKER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THO MAS 13.

- VAN DORN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed October 12, 1921. Serial No. 507,249.

T 0 all 01 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY E. BARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines.

The objects of this invention are to provide a washing machine of the type in which a cylinder is oscillated in a casing containing the cleansing fluid, and more particularly to provide such a device in which the use of the customary gears for delivering power to the drum is avoided; furthermore, to provide a drum with two or more air domes or pockets which dip into the fluid in the casing and in which at least a part of the fluid is alternately displaced from the pockets by air or some other fluid of less specific gravity than the cleansing fluid, thereby creating a movement of the drum about its axis in one direction until the relation between the weights of the contents of the pockets is reversed, when the drum will move in the opposite direction; to provide means for discharging the cleansing fluid through the drum so as to increase its agitation and circulation; and to provide also means of communication between the air domes and the interior of the drum so that the air or other fluid will circulate through the contents of the drum.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of my machine; Fig. 2 is the same kind of view broken away and showing the drum in another position; Fig. 3 is a side view partly broken away; and Fig. 4 shows in plan the connection of the discharge end of the air supply pipe.

The outer casing 1 which is adapted to contain the cleansing fluid is provided with the bearings 2 for supporting the trunnions on the two ends of the cylinder or drum 4 which is adapted to be oscillated through and to be partly submerged in the cleansing fluid. A suitable cover 5 is provided for the casing. The end walls of the drum indicated at 6 are imperforate and are adapted to support the ends of the corrugated or fluted member which is so formed as to-provide hollow inwardly extending clothes carrying ribs, the outer chambers or pockets in which form air domes indicated at 7 and 8. The portion extending between the air domes 7 and 8 is corrugated, as at 9,\ to provide a ri'ibbing surface, which surface is perforated, as at 10, to enable a gaseous medium to enter the drum and aerate the contents thcreof. The walls of the air domes themselves are imperforate except for the openings 7 and 8. Two or more of such air domes may be provided, the two indicated in the present showing being spaced approximately 90 from each other and be. ing located substantially symmetrically one on either side of a vertical plane through the drum axis when the drum is stationary or in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. The other portions 11 and 12 of the main wall of the drum are perforated as indicated at 13 and 1 and are suitably mounted in the end valls 6. Hinged covers 15 are provided for closing the opening in the upper portion of the drum and their side edges rest upon the inwardly extending flanges 15 of the wall sections 11. Suitably supported upon the outside of the perforated wall portions 11 and 12 are two series of trough members 16 which extend the full length of the drum. These trough members are adapted to be filled with cleansing fluid as they are submerged by rotation of the drum and to discharge the same through the perforations 13 to the inside of the drum so as to increase the circulation of the cleansing fluid through the materials contained within the drum. The members 16 are mounted between the extending marginal portions 6" of the end walls 6. The walls of the air domes are spaced from the wall portions 11 and 12 so as to-provide passages 17 and 18 for the escape of air from the domes to the inside of the drum so as to aerate the contents thereof.

The air pipe 20 is connected at its lower end to the tliroat portion 21 which extends part way along the length of the drum and is suitably supported therebelow within the casing, as for instance, upon the brackets or legs 22 provided upon the floor of the casing. The throat portion 21 terminates in an upwardly discharging mouth 23 which is located at approximately the lowest point in the path of travel of the drum so as to dis charge air into the air domes.

The level of the fluid in the casing is in.- dicated at 24 and it will be seen that as air is discharged from the mouth 23 into one or both of the air domes, depending upon their respective location relative to the mouth 23. If they are equi-distant therefrom, then the drum must be manually moved to bring one of said air domes nearer to said mouth than the other. The nearer dome will thereupon be Vmore quickly filled with air than the other or more distant one, as will be readily understood. If one of the air domes is positioned above the mouth 23, at the start, as for instance dome 8 as in Fig. 2, then this dome will receive substantially all the air discharged from the mouth 23. gln either case, at least a portion of the fluid trapped in one of the air domes, say dome 8 will be displaced by the air which, being of less specific gravity than the cleansing fluid, will create an over-balancing of the drum. The fluid trapped within the other air dome 7 will then descend until it occupies a position above the discharge mouth of the air pipe. During this time the air which gradually escapes from the air dome 8 through the passage 18 circulates through the contents of the drum. During this time the jet of air is also being discharged with the cleansing fluid through the openings 10 in the wall portion 9, thereby producing a further aeration of the materials and more thorough circulation of the fluid through the materials. Then when the air dome 7 has descended to the point just above the mouth of the air pipe, at least a portion of the fluid trapped in this air dome will be displaced by air from the air pipe; whereupon the quantity of fluid in the other air dome which has been gradually increasing will over-balance that contained within the air dome 7, with the result that the drum will rotate in the opposite direction, thereby producing an oscillatory movement of the same. The troughs 16 are all the while being filled with the cleansing fluid as they are submerged therein and are discharged through the openings 13 upon being sufliciently tilted, as will be apparent from the drawings. The projection of the fluted air domes or carrying ribs inside of the drum also enables them to lift and drop the material being washed in the usual manner of operation of such ribs.

Thus it will be seen that I have devised a washing machine of comparatively simple structure, avoiding the use of gears for effecting a drive connection and at the same time realizing a high degree of efliciency by effecting complete circulation of the cleansing fluid as well as air through the materials contained within the drum.

What I claim is:

1. A washing machine, comprising a fluid containin casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions 2. A washing machine,.comprising a fluid containing casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, the lower portion of said drum between said pockets being provided with openings to permit gaseous medium to enter.

the drum, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions.

3. A washing machine, comprisin a fluid containing casing, a drum rotatab e on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, said drum at the upper edge of each pocket having an opening to its interior for the escape of gaseous medium from said pockets, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane androtate the drum alternately in opposite directions.

4. A washing machine, comprising a fluid containing casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being rality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions, each of. said pockets extending inwardly toward the drum axis and forming a material lifting device therein.

5. A washing machine, comprising a'fluid containing casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, the lower portion of said drum between said pockets being provided with openings to permit gaseous medium to enter the drum, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions, each of said pockets eX- tending inwardly toward the drum axis and forming a material lifting device therein.

(3. A *ashing machine, comprising a fluid containing casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, said drum at the upper edge of each pocket having an opening to its interior for the escape of gaseous medium from said pockets, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions, each of said pockets extending inwardly toward the drum axis and forming a material lifting device therein.

7 A washing machine, comprising a fluid containing casing, a drum rotatable on a horizontal axis therein, said drum being provided in its lower portion with a plurality of pockets located symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane through the drum axis, the upper wall portion of each pocket being imperforate, and means for supplying gaseous medium beneath said drum to alternately enter said pockets on the two sides of said plane and rotate the drum alternately in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I hereby afliX my signature.

PERCY E. BARKER. 

